The Jump Gates fell six hundred years ago, severing the links between the myriad worlds of the human diaspora.

Now, the long isolation of the Silence falls away as men and women return to the skies above their scattered worlds.

Will you be among them once more?

Stars Without Number: Revised Edition is an old-school-inspired game of sci-fi adventure, one built from the ground up to encourage sandbox play and simplify a GM's job in providing it. Familiar mechanics are employed to forge new worlds and explore new possibilities, guidelines built on long experience used to help a group venture in wholly new directions. Within the full-color pages of Stars Without Number: Revised Edition, you'll find… .

Backwards compatibility, as the Revised Edition is built to work cleanly with existing Stars Without Number supplements and materials. The new systems slot in smoothly, and you can take or leave them individually as your group prefers.

Expanded character creation, with PCs now customized by special talents and character foci, new options for psychic characters, and new ways to make your hero mechanically distinct. Yet the process is still smooth and quick, with a special quick generator spread to create a hero from nothing more than a half-dozen die rolls.

Refined psionics, with more options to distinguish your psychic hero's powers and more flexible choices for their abilities. Tailor your psychic to your concept, whether as a cynical gunslinging brainguard or an ascetic psychic healer from a world of austere psionic scholars.

Improved starship combat, with decisive roles for every member of the party. Build your own starships with the included system and employ new hardware and new starship mods to make your ungainly crate the fastest contraband runner this side of the Veil Nebula.

New systems to support additional types of play, including rules for hacking, remote drones, and expert technical modification of gear and starships.

Upgraded tools for sandbox sector creation, with forty new world tags to help define a GM's stellar creations, guides for adding additional system points of interest, and material to help a GM define the interesting traits of the worlds they create. These tools aren't just a clump of random tables, they're a framework to boost your own creativity and help you make fast, good, playable material for your game.

Augmented adventure creation guidelines. Aside from a hundred piping-hot adventure seeds that mesh smoothly with the world creation tools, Stars Without Number: Revised Edition also includes content to help you turn your vague ideas into a playable evening's adventure. Guidelines on challenges, rewards, and complications in play are all aimed toward the working GM, the man or woman who's not just theorizing their adventures, but actually responsible for making something fun for the whole group.

Tools for creating aliens, Virtual Intelligences, and hostile human foes, with guidelines for handling potentially-hostile encounters and creating the kind of fearsome xenobeasts that can challenge the doughtiest explorer. Or perhaps you want to be an alien or robot? You'll find the tools for that in Stars Without Number: Revised Edition.

Faction rules, for handling the background warring and intrigues of hostile groups. Need to add life and motion to your stellar sectors? Sprinkle in a few factions to make news for the PCs to respond to, or use these rules to handle the colonies, spy agencies, mercenary companies, or other enterprises your heroes establish.

And these things? They're all in the free version. Yes, just like the original edition, Stars Without Number: Revised Edition has a free PDF edition to share with your friends and pass around to interested parties. Those daring stellar freebooters who purchase this deluxe version will get...

Transhuman tech, with rules for bodyswapping, digital identities, post-scarcity economics, and just as importantly, GM guidelines on making exciting adventures when all the old pillars of familiarity have fallen away.

True AIs, the vast and terrible intellects that can bring forth wonders and ruin in equal measure. Playing a synthetic VI or aspiring organic godmind? Learn how your PC can accumulate the tech they need to ascend to this new plane of being.

Mechs, for those GMs who relish the thunder of steel titans on their far-future battlefields.

Heroic PCs, for groups that want to trade the gritty, lethal tone of a standard campaign for classic space opera, with larger-than-life heroes and superhuman skills.

Society creation, customizing a world or a hab with its own culture and history, pre-designed with fault lines and conflicts to engage your heroes. You'll get more than a dry recounting of details; you'll get the information you need to build adventures that fit with this world's smouldering tensions.

Is there any chance of a discount on a print copy for those who own the PDF? I backed the KS but couldn't afford the physical version at the time. It's fine if not, I just might have to wait for another payday is all. ;)

July 17, 2018 2:10 am UTC

PURCHASER

I don't suppose anyone has tips or suggestions for baseline payment if players seek out and take under-the-table and very much illegal jobs for their characters? One of my party has a rather shady history. :^

Brad BJune 23, 2018 6:35 am UTC

PURCHASER

So maybe I am a little dense but what ammo type am I needing for mag weapons? From what I am reading it's just the standard ammo that you buy in 20 round packages, is this correct?

Aaron LJuly 04, 2018 1:10 pm UTC

PURCHASER

That's correct. From the top of page 66:

"For simplicity during play, ammunition calibers aren’t tracked; a bullet is a bullet when it comes to feeding your favorite gun."

Kary Realm Master K WJune 16, 2018 7:47 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Congrats on the release of the Revised Edition. I used my code to purchase this title (I was a Kickstarter Backer). However, there are no download links on the product page, and it does not show in my library. On this page it does show that I have purchased this title.

Could you check into this for me?
Thanks, I truly appreciate it.

Geoffrey WJuly 14, 2018 7:03 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Did you back at the $35 Von Neumann machine level? If so, there were several codes. The PoD Coupon was separate from the PDF coupon.

If you definitely clicked the PDF coupon, and it's still not there, you'll probably have to contact DTRPG customer support about it. Kevin's not got the capacity to troubleshoot database errors on their end.

Adam BMay 31, 2018 9:32 pm UTC

Is a .mobi file included with purchase like Godbound? If not, that would really be appreciated!

Geoffrey WJune 02, 2018 8:22 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Mobi and Epub, yes.

Moreau JApril 09, 2018 6:22 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Greeting, i purchased the complete revised edition, and i have a question, in the book you talk about using LOTFP, Labyrinth (so i guess ORSIC can work to) but do plan to make a race guide for SWN or should i use OSR game as a matrix to create them ?

Kevin CApril 13, 2018 7:08 am UTC

PUBLISHER

I don't have any canonical alien race guide in mind at the moment- that sort of thing tends to work best on a campaign-by-campaign basis for GMs. You could theoretically use any alien or fantasy species of your choice with the game. Just use the guidelines for Origin Foci and building alien races if you're keen on making them PC-available.

Moreau JApril 13, 2018 9:20 am UTC

PURCHASER

Thanks à lot.

Georg MApril 05, 2018 5:32 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Hey! I like SWN so far, however the included epub and mobi versions lack the bookmarks. The PDF has proper bookmarks and is easy to navigate, however the mobi version really would need similar bookmarks. The TOC in front doesn't reliably work (some links go back to page 1 instead of to the mentioned number). It's a bit of a hassle. It would be great to get updated files for this. Thank you!

Christopher TApril 03, 2018 2:59 pm UTC

PURCHASER

I've noticed the price of the PDF+Hardcover Copy of the Revised Edition has been slashed - is this a momentary sale, or a permanent price adjustment?

Kevin CApril 06, 2018 7:05 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

That's actually just an artifact of the way DTRPG displays prices. If you don't charge extra for the PDF, the Print+PDF bundle looks like it's discounted by the value of the PDF.

As I never charge extra for including the PDF with the print version, all my book+PDF bundles look like they're "discounted" by that much.

Kevin DMarch 31, 2018 2:00 am UTC

PURCHASER

Can someone tell me what the difference is between the two hardcover options?

Kevin CApril 03, 2018 1:51 am UTC

PUBLISHER

The premium-color version has slightly richer colors and denser ink for the illustrations. The difference is very minimal to my eyes, but it could make a difference to someone who wants the best possible hues. The paper weight is identical between them.

Pierre SMarch 29, 2018 9:47 pm UTC

There is something wrong with the "Full-size Preview" on the top left by the photo. It only consists of the 2nd page of the character sheet. Usually there are a few pages showing the "look" of the game without giving essentials away.

Kevin CApril 03, 2018 1:50 am UTC

PUBLISHER

It's pulling the sample screens from the PDF character sheet in the file- I'll have to figure a fix for that.

James CMarch 25, 2018 3:34 pm UTC

PURCHASER

It seems like there's a typo for Heavy Weapons on page 69. Most of the weapons (from Railgun down to Vortex Cannon) have asterisks listed for their encumbrance, but I can't find anything on the page or in the encumbrance rules that refer to this.

Edit: Checking the previous edition, it seems there's a missing note that says, "* Vehicle-mounted or emplaced position only"

Christopher SMarch 12, 2018 3:39 am UTC

PURCHASER

I've had the PDF for two weeks now, and I just unboxed my SWN Revised Edition book, and it's gorgeous! In 5 weeks, I am putting my Sat. morning group through some custom modules, which they are beta-testing before I publish here on DTRPG, so in 16-20 weeks, I will have a full module available here (pdf) and on Roll20.net (expansion via marketplace) complete with battlemaps, handouts, and NEW homebrew / expanded foci, gear, and other perks.

I bow down to Kevin Crawford for his vision of the Space Opera genre. Cheers!

Jack SJuly 02, 2018 8:08 pm UTC

Is there a notification I can set up to find out when your module is available? I am very interested in any extra SWN content.

Eric CMarch 05, 2018 11:20 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Are there going to be anymore sourcebooks or expansions coming out for SWN? We love everything but it seems like it's ripe for so much more. New Foci, true "Space Magic", etc. Either way, keep up the amazing work Kevin.

Brett MMarch 07, 2018 9:16 pm UTC

I'd like to know the answer to this as well! As someone who's never read any of the supplements for the original version of SWN, I have no clue if they are still worth buying for the revised edition or not. Is this the case? Or should I wait for you to release the "new and improved" sourcebooks for the revised editions?

Kevin CMarch 08, 2018 8:32 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

Indeed, there will be more SWN sourcebooks for the revised edition. Right now I've got the Lexicon of the Throne to finish up for Godbound, and then Wolves of God as a game set in 710 AD England, and then it will be SWN's turn for fresh material. I may toss a few freebies out for in the meanwhile to keep things lively.

Kevin CMarch 08, 2018 8:35 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

The SWN 1st edition supplements are almost entirely compatible with the revised edition, as I didn't want to fry my back catalog with an imiscible new edition. You may have to change skill names to the new version, and the space combat rules in Skyward Steel are already semi-included in the revised version, but the rest of it can go in almost unchanged. More than half the content in SWN supplements are usually system-neutral GM tools, anyway, so you could use them with any sci-fi game.

James LMarch 05, 2018 4:18 pm UTC

What happened to the Standard Heavyweight PoD option?

Joachim HFebruary 19, 2018 2:48 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Hi. Currently running a game of SWN using the free revised edition, and just ordered the book (I always prefer physical copies when I can get them =)) and the deluxe PDFs. What is the difference between the "StarsWithoutNumberRevised-DeluxeEdition" and "StarsWithoutNumberRevised-DeluxeEdition-Lightweight"? Just had a quick browse, but didn't seem that different to me at a quick glance. Too bad the Omnibus book was only a kickstarter thing... I wanted to buy that one, but got told that it couldn't be delivered to Norway =(

Kevin CFebruary 25, 2018 10:41 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

The Lightweight version has the exact same text, but I stripped out the art, flattened the layers, and optimized it to load as fast as possible on weak processors. It's what you'd use for a tablet reference if you preferred not to use the epub or mobi editions, or what you might choose to print if you wanted to save ink.

Joachim HMarch 18, 2018 11:12 pm UTC

PURCHASER

That's handy =) Thank you for your reply.

Scott GFebruary 18, 2018 3:08 am UTC

PURCHASER

Hi. I did the Bundle of Holding the earlier edition and just bought the revised edition the other day. The full blown PDF is excellent. I was a little disappointed with the "low res" version. While I like how you were nice to publish a "low res" version (not a lot of publishers do that), the glaring empty space where the artwork was does not look good. I was wondering if you would be coming out with an update where that will be fixed?

Kevin CFebruary 19, 2018 12:06 am UTC

PUBLISHER

If you'd prefer to have art in your lightweight version, you can just take the normal PDF, turn off whatever layers you want off the final, and export it as a new PDF with no layers.

In general, the lightweight version isn't meant to look good. It's a bare-bones, ultra-light PDF for fast and uncomplicated rendering. Including any kind of art with it would balloon the size drastically, since you can fit the entire book's text in about three square inches of medium-res image data. While it's theoretically possible to remake the PDF in a text-only format that looks more aesthetic, it would unfortunaetly require a completely new layout pass to do so.

I've been running games every week for 14 years and this is my favorite System/Setting by far. The tools that Kevin Crawford gives to the GM are powerful and freeing. This product is worth the purchase for the Faction system alone. If you want a game [...]

I am a longtime fan of the original. The Revised Edition is a vast improvement on the system. Mr. Crawford takes the OSR engine into refreshing territory. They book is worth the asking price just for the advice and the tools it provides. With this game [...]

5 Stars without a doubt. The amount of content you can find within the pages of this book is simply amazing. GM tools for creating your space sandbox (and running it), elegant but simple rules for important scifi tropes/scenarios (mechs, AI, starships, [...]

A fantastic science fiction RPG built upon classic RPG mechanics, Stars Without Number is title that will appeal to gamers whether "Old School" or "New School." This revised edtion greatly improves up the orginal by streamlining ski [...]

Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): This is not a complete product, but just about. The only thing missing is minor...spell lists for Space Magic (and setting changes for said Space Magic) Kevin Crawford is obviously a one man band and what he has produced is [...]

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